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Post by jazzmasterjonny on Nov 15, 2020 1:19:02 GMT -7
Well, my Z-Lux arrived via Fed Ex today!
Here are my first impressions:
It does actually remind me a bit of my heavily modified Fender Deluxe Reverb, just with a more useable EQ. It's more refined, but it's got that Fendery thing going on.
It's BRIGHT, though a hair less bright than my Deluxe! I can't really move the Treble control much past 9 o'clock without feeling a zing inside my brain. I only tried my Jazzmaster with it today, which is a very bright guitar, but it made me realize that the buffer at the front of my signal chain should be off with my Jazzmaster. I'm going to try it with a few other guitars in the next day or two and see what the basic settings are.
The Reverb needs... more... I think doing the mod will help that.
The Mids knob is voiced really well! I'm digging the versatility of that control.
The 40 watt mode does sound a smidge better, but it's great in 20 watt mode. It seems ever so slightly brighter in 20 watt mode: again my Jazzmaster is already bright, but the difference is very slight.
The build quality is very good. I'm excited to put it through it's paces over the next few days.
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Post by Rockerfeller on Nov 15, 2020 6:14:51 GMT -7
Head or combo?
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Post by jazzmasterjonny on Nov 15, 2020 7:07:23 GMT -7
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Post by trojanhov on Nov 15, 2020 12:29:25 GMT -7
Jazz master is an extremely bright guitar. Sounds great with tele, gretsch, and p90s ime
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Post by trojanhov on Nov 15, 2020 12:34:29 GMT -7
But I’m sure you can eq it in a way to get the sound you want. Set the eq with ears not eyes. I fall into that habit a lot
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Post by ksquared on Nov 15, 2020 16:06:22 GMT -7
But I’m sure you can eq it in a way to get the sound you want. Set the eq with ears not eyes. I fall into that habit a lot
This is true. Also (cutting and pasting from another thread), you should read what PerryR says in this thread about the Maz 18 (which has a similar tone stack): ztalk.proboards.com/thread/83168/setting-tonesEssentially, the tone knobs are all cut filters and they are interactive with each other. Having T low can effect the Mids and B control a lot, and adding more Mids or Bass can do away with the sense of too much treble. Turning the preamp V up a bit also will likely improve things.
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Post by jazzmasterjonny on Nov 15, 2020 23:47:00 GMT -7
I spent most of the day playing through the Z-Lux, including with a band.
It's a great sounding amp.
With my Jazzmaster: Treble at 9 o'clock -- maybe a smidge higher; Mids at first tick past noon. Bass at noon.
Volume at 9 o'clock. 20 Watt mode all day.
Tomorrow I'm going to A/B it against a few other amps with a few different guitars and see what it can do!
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Post by trojanhov on Nov 16, 2020 0:23:23 GMT -7
I spent most of the day playing through the Z-Lux, including with a band. It's a great sounding amp. With my Jazzmaster: Treble at 9 o'clock -- maybe a smidge higher; Mids at first tick past noon. Bass at noon. Volume at 9 o'clock. 20 Watt mode all day. Tomorrow I'm going to A/B it against a few other amps with a few different guitars and see what it can do! Awesome man! I love the 20 watt mode as much as the 40.
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Post by scottunzicker on Nov 16, 2020 12:36:31 GMT -7
Congrats on the Z-Lux! It's a fabulous amp. Have you played with the boost function yet? If you're wanting a bit more reverb and less brightness, that might just do the trick for you. I've noticed a direct corollary between the boost level and how much reverb I can get out of thing. BTW, which mod were you referring to re: reverb?
Thanks!
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Post by mule43 on Nov 16, 2020 16:52:30 GMT -7
You made a great choice! I have had my Z-Lux for about a month and love it. I also just got a Maz 38 NR MK2 about the same time and have to say that whichever Dr. Z amp I am playing at the moment is my favorite. A friend was over last Friday and plugged into the Z-Lux with his Eric Johnson Strat and man did it sound fantastic. He is a much better player than I am that is for sure. I was using the Maz 38 and my LP and and clean all night with only a Carbon Copy for a little slap back. We had a great jam session.
I find that I am mainly playing clean with the Z-Lux and am really enjoying the different character of my guitars. My Strat has never sounded better. I also like how touch sensitive it is, absolutely amazing! These are my first Dr. Z amps and I am hooked.
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Post by adam on Nov 16, 2020 18:56:30 GMT -7
These are my first Dr. Z amps and I am hooked. I feel exactly the same way. There's a whole bunch in the catalog that I wish I owned because I know they will do whatever they do in spades. My only regret is not figuring that out sooner. Even stuff like the Z-Wreck, that is so not me, but that fast arse tone from a tele is really quite remarkable. I'm guessing if he sent a couple EZG's to to EJ he'd replace his old Twin's with those, and I've never heard one in person.
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Post by jazzmasterjonny on Nov 17, 2020 1:08:22 GMT -7
Congrats on the Z-Lux! It's a fabulous amp. Have you played with the boost function yet? If you're wanting a bit more reverb and less brightness, that might just do the trick for you. I've noticed a direct corollary between the boost level and how much reverb I can get out of thing. BTW, which mod were you referring to re: reverb? Thanks! Apparently there have been updates to the circuit over the last few years. The new updates include the master volume being post phase inverter, a wetter reverb, and a new silver/black switch that must have some sort of voicing effect from the description.
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Post by jazzmasterjonny on Nov 18, 2020 9:51:16 GMT -7
I've been experimenting with different speakers as I have some different speakers in my Fender Deluxe Reverb that I could demo, as well as some external speaker cabs that have various selections (blues and greenbacks).
I tried it with my Eminence GA SC64. Wow! What an interesting sound change. That speaker loosens up and extends the low end of this amp in a really pleasing way. The highs sound less peaky, more vintage for lack of a better term. Mids are less aggressive. Makes the amp sound less hifi and gives it more character in the mids.
I suppose one downside with the SC64 is the fact that it's rated for 40 watts, so at full push, the speaker will be distorting some and I think I like the speaker to be higher-wattage rated to be able to stay cleaner longer. I would rarely run it in 40 watt/full volume if ever, so it's probably not a big deal.
I might try and records some clips of what I'm hearing and share them with everyone if I get some time to.
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Post by scottunzicker on Nov 18, 2020 13:44:25 GMT -7
jazzmasterjonny - Something else to tinker with, if you're so inclined: A few of us (myself included) have swapped out the stock JJ 6V6s for a matched quad of medium grade new production (NOT NOS) Tung Sol 5881s. You can search threads for general impressions, but the short of it, sonically speaking, is that it makes it sound more like a "Twin on steroids" at 1/2 and 1/4 the power, respectively, with maybe a touch more headroom and less mid-range grind. I really like it, and have never gone back. The Doc, himself, recommended it, and emphasized that it had to be a matched quad of NEW production, medium grade, Tung Sol 5881s.
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Post by jazzmasterjonny on Nov 18, 2020 15:05:54 GMT -7
jazzmasterjonny - Something else to tinker with, if you're so inclined: A few of us (myself included) have swapped out the stock JJ 6V6s for a matched quad of medium grade new production (NOT NOS) Tung Sol 5881s. You can search threads for general impressions, but the short of it, sonically speaking, is that it makes it sound more like a "Twin on steroids" at 1/2 and 1/4 the power, respectively, with maybe a touch more headroom and less mid-range grind. I really like it, and have never gone back. The Doc, himself, recommended it, and emphasized that it had to be a matched quad of NEW production, medium grade, Tung Sol 5881s. Oooh, that's interesting as well! I may have to try this variation too. I feel bad messing with something so quickly without living with it for a bit, but I'm forever tinkering and picky.
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Post by scottunzicker on Nov 19, 2020 13:00:11 GMT -7
It is interesting. And, since it's a cathode biased amp, you don't have to mess with a bias pot!
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